I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.

Notes: I have a last minute business trip TOMORROW into Thursday. Plus HOMEWORK (that's been forever) due tomorrow for a creative writing class I am taking. PLEASE be patient for the chapter after this one. My story is done but I always poke/prod/pester my lovely patient Beta's before posting! thanks all!

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Chapter 9

Danny's shocked reaction about the discovery of the small bag of diamonds mirrored Steve's minus the fuzzy companionship of Lord Ted. The diamonds gave a terrible credence behind the intentions of the man they had found ransacking the Pearce apartment and to the small team they now had in custody. It was an obnoxiously silent team that so far had refused to expound on their employer's identity or identities. Without a doubt though, the FBI office would be more than interested in the odd velvet bag hidden in a child's toy.

"I don't know how or why she got them, but to give them to a child to hide? Didn't she realize the danger she put her child in?" Danny was beside himself as he recalled the state of the apartment and what had happened during their chase. The men were belligerent, very well-armed and quite professional. He watched as Steve stowed the small bag high in the kitchen for the short-term. The diamonds would be entered as evidence and shared with the FBI at a more reasonable hour.

"And dare we ask who the hell is Joanna Pearce? Is she really Kasey or Becca's mother? Was she kidnapped? Why are they on the run and for how long?" There were too many questions building and almost no answers. Steve was once again forced to glare Danny's growing rant down to a more manageable level.

"We need more and Kono will find it." Neither of them wanted to wait, but they certainly couldn't afford to ask Kasey. She was much too fragile in their care and they needed to be cautious with how any of their allegations might be perceived.

"Kasey's too smart and we can't go there yet. She's scared enough as it is. We need to wait just a little longer."

Danny sighed in agreement before rubbing his face tiredly. Wordlessly, they decided to turn in themselves for some well-deserved rest. Their cell phones would be ringing in both directions once the time hit a more reasonable hour. With Kasey still on the sofa, Danny briefly checked on his own sleeping daughter before taking up his new perch on the recliner in the living room. Steve had opted for the same room and the next most comfortable chair which didn't look so very cosy at all, but with the coffee table to raise his legs, it would do fine for the interim.

Scarcely minutes later, the entire house was calm and peaceful as the winds stayed strong outside.

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Steve woke as his phone vibrated on his lap and he quietly kicked the light blanket off his legs to answer it in the kitchen. Danny's face was lined with fatigue even in sleep and Steve frowned. One hand rested limply across his chest where a now useless ice pack lay and he never moved as Steve snuck quietly past the chair.

"Hey, Kono." He whispered roughly and half-asleep from a restless night of tossing and turning. He grimaced unhappily as he rubbed his injured arm before finding his pain medication and dry-swallowing a pill.

"Morning, boss. Sorry for the early hour but you'll want to hear this. Quite a bit has been going on." It was obvious her own night had been active based on her similarly raspy voice. First she informed him that the thumb drive was in the hands of the FBI. They were requesting that the case be turned completely over to them based upon an existing operation in Las Vegas related to a Frank Curtis.

"They've been after this guy for two or three years for being the mastermind behind a multi-million dollar illegal gambling ring. The drive lists all his financial dealings for the past 12-months. Curtis has a particular list of special clients including Wall Street brokers that seem to be funding their games by allegedly embezzling and transferring money illegally from their own investor's accounts. There's a partial list of names, dates and monetary amounts won and lost on the drive. The men we have in custody aren't talking but the FBI is building proof that they work directly for Curtis .. and were sent here on a particular mission."

"A mission to track down Joanna Pearce and get that data." Steve remarked as he considered the request which was really a demand, and sighed in agreement. Data and a stash of pricey gems. Illegal gaming. A missing woman and a badly ransacked apartment. A child that had two names .. and most likely more family somewhere anxiously searching for her. Joanna Pearce was a waking nightmare.

"Stay involved and help them in any way possible, but let them run the show. We need to work together to understand why the drive was in Joanna Pearce's possession and ensure Kasey stays safe. We need to find her mother."

Steve sensed that Kono was anxious to share more, but he interrupted her to notate his find of the nine diamonds in the small velvet pouch. "Inform our friends in the FBI. See if anything comes up missing or stolen. It may be pertinent to their larger case against Frank Curtis, although it's not likely because they could be simple contraband."

"Are you ready for the good news now? You'll like what I found out about Kasey - who as you guessed already isn't really Kasey Pearce at all. Which of course means I've identified the mother." Kono's voice changed to one of excitement because the first name she rattled off her now very short list of children was Rebecca Anne Ramirez and Steve nearly shouted in delight. The picture provided in the database was absolutely that of a then seven-year old Kasey Pearce - they had a confirmed hit.

"Her mother is Amy Wilkerson-Ramirez and she kidnapped Rebecca based on the initial data that I have so far. Amy's filed photograph is a definite match to Kasey's .. sorry, I mean Rebecca's mother. I just want more, Steve so I can give you an accurate update on what's current .. so give me an hour."

Kono paused at Steve's one additional request and then smiled because now she understood where he had been going. "I want to know how Michael Ramirez is related to our Doctor Ponch Ramirez. He has to be Kono, the physical similarities are much too strong."

Power was out in pockets throughout the city and Steve's neighborhood was closed to traffic due to heavy flooding plus a few downed trees. But working from home in that extra hour, Kono did her best to identify all the facts around the original missing person's reports, the sad history of Amy and Michael Ramirez, and then the local familial relations for Rebecca Anne and her parents.

When she called back, Danny had joined Steve in the kitchen to have coffee while the two girls continued to sleep. He already had heard the latest from Steve and was smiling as he listened in closely on a much lowered speaker on the cell phone. His smile grew even more at Kono's good news. Michael Ramirez was the younger illegitimate half-brother of their friend Doctor Alphonse 'Ponch' Ramirez. He had rightful custody of their young daughter Rebecca. After she had been abducted by her mentally unstable mother, he had been searching ceaselessly for her over the last three years.

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"Someone's finally going home after a very long time." Steve whispered under his breath as he knelt down next to where Kasey - now Rebecca - still lay sleeping so very soundly on his sofa. Her teddy bear was back in her arms; perfectly clean, plush and fresh after his stint in the washing machine and dryer. The photograph and a new business card were back in the bear's tummy. And he was ready to calm her when he explained how he had found the black velvet bag. For the time being though, she slept peacefully and completely undisturbed.

He smiled as he smoothed loose bits of stray hair from her still feverish cheeks. Parts of her being were much too old and too brave for her age; and at times like now, she seemed just like the very innocent, sweet child that she was. Just like with Danny, in his personal opinion, her real name of Rebecca Anne suited her delicate features much better. She had woken only once during the night in a terrified state of panic. She had settled back down after having a small cup of soup and more medicine all while cuddled safely on Steve's lap with Lord Ted in the crook of her arm. Danny had been pleased that her temperature had dropped a half degree, but it wasn't nearly enough yet for Steve. And though she trusted Danny, she was clearly attached to him, only falling asleep wrapped in a blanket and snuggled against his chest. She hadn't stirred when he tucked her back down on the sofa for the remainder of the long night.

Danny was watching him from the doorway with an odd smile on his face. Uncle Steve was phenomenal with his Grace. However, this relationship with Kasey - 'no, it's Rebecca' he reminded himself with a bigger smile - was different. It was theirs and it was very special indeed because she had chosen Steve without reservation and Danny refused to consider the alternatives if she hadn't been gutsy enough to track him down using a water-logged business card.

The power was still out and their cell phones were low on battery. However, using Steve's truck to make a phone call or to power back up would not be a problem and Danny grinned because he could barely wait to share the good news. With the winds still howling outside and it only near dawn, Steve nodded and Danny left the house to make that very important phone call. Regardless of the time and the weather conditions, a certain call now desperately needed to be made .. and well, it all made perfect sense because they needed a doctor anyway.

Danny sat in Steve's truck with his cell phone plugged into the adapter. They all had Ponch's personal cell phone information and he was happy to use it now. A voice rough with sleep answered on the second chime and Danny's grin deepened. It paid to be a light-sleeping ER doctor.

"Ponch, it's Danny Williams." There was the shortest of pauses as Danny allowed the weary man's brain to register his name.

"Is something wrong?"

Danny began to chuckle happily. "No, on the contrary .. I'm about to make your day. Do you know a Rebecca Anne Ramirez by chance?" The stunned inhale of breath on the opposite end evidently woke his wife, Ellen, because Danny heard her muffled queries.

"Yes .. what .. Danny?" His laugh softened slightly but the grin remained as Ponch's voice cracked with emotion and then almost faded to nothing. "This is about our Rebecca? Is she .. alright?"

The normally well-spoken man could barely get a single word out and was jumping to a frightening conclusion, so Danny didn't delay the reason for his early morning call.

"It's good news, Ponch. It's also a very long story and we'll discuss why in god's name my team didn't know about her later. Regardless, can you get to Steve's? I'll call an HPD escort for you to clear the way. Rebecca is safe and here .. at his place. We need to call your brother, but as family we thought it best if you were involved." For a minute, Danny thought the line had gone dead because he heard absolutely nothing.

"Doc? Did you get all that?"

"God, Mikey." Ponch's voice broke again before he recovered his composure. "Yes. We're here .. we're coming over. Now." The Ponch he knew was back and in command as he barked sharp demands to Ellen to get moving.

"Bring your bag though. She's got a bit of a bad cold and a fever. It's actually probably bronchitis." There was a startled thud and a garbled word or two of agreement. By the sounds on the other side of the phone, the Ramirez's were already half way out the door.

"Take it slow, Doc. We need you both here in one piece!"

"Slow my ass, Detective. You'd better clear the way because we aren't stopping for anyone or anything. Storm be damned!" The growled, determined come-back made Danny hold his chest against the pain of a louder happy laugh which brought tears to his eyes. It took him just a few seconds to call Duke and demand an HPD escort for the Ramirez's large SUV.

The weather radio hummed in the distance. Roads were still closed, and the threat of mud slides continued. They were one major step closer to reuniting a child with her rightful family but would still need to resolve the issue of her missing mother. Not to mention, the odd collection of expensive diamond chips stuffed into a teddy bear's plush tummy and whatever data lurked on a thumb drive.

But first things needed to be done .. first.

~ to be continued ~